Grant Funding for Tactical Operations

Grants are a major source of funding for tactical operations. Grant funds may be used to purchase needed equipment and for training and education, personnel, process, and infrastructure improvements, research, planning, and other purposes consistent with the intent of the grant. Applications may be solicited by the grantor in the form of a Request for Application (RFA) or Request for Proposal (RFP). Alternatively, a grant may be solicited by an individual or group who develops an idea and writes a proposal to request funding from a sponsor.

In the case of an RFP, the sponsor describes the intended purposes of the funding, the types of individuals or groups eligible to apply, and the required information that applicants must supply. Required information may include detailed descriptions of the applicant’s plans, capabilities, accounting and control systems, inventory management, reports (specific information and times of reports), key deliverables, and budget required to accomplish the grant’s objectives.

In an investigator-initiated proposal, an applicant identifies a need, develops a proposal, and submits it to a prospective grantor. The proposal may a simple one-page letter or a formal document including numerous details. In either case, essential information must be conveyed to assure the grantor that the applicant is eligible and capable of successful completion of the grant’s objectives within a specified period of time.

Many grants provide funds as reimbursement. This means that the recipient must use its own financial resources initially and then submit expenses for reimbursement from the funding agency, typically on a monthly basis. Others may provide the funding up-front to allow the grantee more direct control over spending—some grantors even allow the grantee to earn interest on these funds.

Considering the time and effort involved, the tactical team should carefully consider whether it can commit the resources required not only to apply for the grant but, if the team receives the award, to manage the grant and accomplish the objectives. The team should only pursue a grant that they believe is a good fit with the team’s purpose, mission, goals, and capability.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must be certain that they are eligible to apply for the particular grant. Eligibility requirements are specified by the grant sponsors. The following is an example.

Any nonfederal agency chartered and empowered to enforce U.S. laws in the following jurisdictions: the United States, a State (or political subdivision) of the United States, or a Territory/possession (or political subdivision) of the United States, including:

▪ Local police
▪ Sheriffs
▪ State police
▪ County police (municipal police that operate on a countywide basis, e.g., Fairfax County, VA; Nassau County, NY)
▪ Native American tribal police
▪ Special police certified by the state
▪ Campus police certified by the state

A tactical medical team would qualify for these funds because of the law enforcement context of its duties and responsibilities.

THE ROLE OF THE INTERNET

Today the Internet is the primary tool for locating potential grant opportunities and submitting grant applications. It is also used by grantees to report on grant progress. An Internet search can quickly locate government agencies requesting grant applications as well as private foundations and other enterprises that wish to fund certain types of projects.

Web searches for government grant funding should include the Grants.gov (1) web site. At this site, one can search in a variety of ways, including by key word (such as Funding Opportunity Number [FON] or Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance [CFDA] number), category (such as Law, Justice and Legal Services), agency (such as U.S. Department of Justice or Department of Homeland Security), or eligibility (such as state, county, city or township, and tribal governments).

More general searches can be accomplished using the various web search engines, such as Google (2) and others. Speed and efficiency in searching the web are dependent on one’s choice of appropriate search terms, or key words. For example, one might try searching the web using terms such as law enforcement grants or SWAT grants. It is advisable to develop one’s skills in using these search engines.

Grant seekers may find useful information at the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) web site, which is administered by the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs (3). NCJRS is a “federally funded resource that provides justice and substance abuse information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide.” It includes links to grants and funding opportunities.

MAJOR SOURCES OF GRANTS FOR TACTICAL TEAMS

There are many sources of grant funding, including government agencies (national, state, or local), the private sector, educational institutions, foundations, and international humanitarian organizations. Examples are:

▪ Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
▪ Department of Justice (DOJ)
▪ Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
▪ National Institutes of Health (NIH)
▪ Department of Energy (DOE)
▪ Department of Transportation (DOT)
▪ Department of Education (DOE)
▪ K-12 School Grant Funding
▪ The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Tactical medical teams should be particularly aware of funding through the DHS, DOJ, and DHHS. Major programs under each of these departments are described below.

Department of Homeland Security

The 2007 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) allocated more than $1.6 billion in awards “to enhance the ability of states, territories, and urban areas to prepare for, prevent, and respond to terrorist attacks and other major disasters.” HSGP funds can be used for “preparedness planning, equipment, training, exercises, management, and administration” in order to obtain resources critical to building and sustaining capabilities aligned with the Interim National Preparedness Goal and with State and Urban Area Homeland Security Strategies (4).

Urban Area Security Initiative Grant Program (UASI) funds address the unique planning, equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas, and assist them in building an enhanced and sustainable capacity to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism.

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